Plain-English summary
Granted then dismissed challenge to DHS 'public charge' rule (DHS v. New York, No. 20-449)
The Court initially agreed to hear a challenge to the Trump administration’s expanded "public charge" rule, which made immigrants inadmissible if likely to use certain public benefits. Before briefing or argument concluded, the parties jointly dismissed the petition and the case was removed from the Court’s docket.
Why this matters
The public charge standard affects who can obtain lawful admission or permanent residence in the U.S. Changes to that standard influence immigrant families' access to public benefits and their decisions about seeking health care or other services. A Supreme Court decision could have set a national rule on how government evaluates immigrants' likely future use of benefits; because the case was dismissed, that national resolution did not occur in this docket.
Who may feel it
- Noncitizens seeking admission to the U.S. or applying to adjust status (green card applicants)
- Immigrant families and mixed-status households
- Legal aid groups and organizations that advise immigrants
- State and local governments that administer benefits or interact with immigrant populations
Key questions
- Whether DHS lawfully interpreted the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude from admission or adjustment a noncitizen who, in the Secretary's opinion at the time of application, is likely at any time to become a 'public charge'.